KEUKA PARK, NY - The Utica University women's basketball team topped Keuka College 69-64 on Saturday afternoon to secure an Empire 8 victory.
 
The duo of Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) and Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) shined each pouring in 20 or more points and seven or more boards. Hall was a stud defensively with a pair of blocks and steals during the contest. Burchhardt shot lights out going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and canned some clutch triples down the stretch to aid Utica in the victory.
 
Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) had seven points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block and also hit a clutch three-pointer down the stretch. Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) also turned in another solid game with six points and five boards.
 
Keuka jumped out to an early lead hitting a pair of triples to take an early 11-2 lead halfway through the frame. Utica responded by working the ball inside with Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) hitting four jumpers to cut the lead to just 14-13. Julia Rotando (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) splashed a clutch three-pointer to knot the game at 19-19 after one quarter of play.
 
The Wolves used a four-point run to open the second quarter and extended their lead to 26-21 at the 6:40 mark of the frame. Haley Burchhardt (Schenectady, NY/Schalmont) canned a triple to cut into the lead as the team trailed just 28-26 halfway through the quarter. Burchhardt hit another triple to give the Pioneers the lead yet Keuka canned a three-pointer to tie the game 36-36. The teams continued to exchange buckets with Keuka taking a 42-39 edge into the half.
 
The Wolves opened the second half on a three-point run yet buckets by Emma Simmons (Unadilla, NY/Sidney Central) and Vanessa Hall (Whitesville, NY/Whitesville Central) had Utica keeping pace. Keuka continued to shoot well from beyond the arc leading 52-43 halfway through the quarter. Buckets by Hall and Hayleigh Lagase (Wallingford, CT/Mark T. Sheehan) kept Utica within striking distance but the Wolves led 57-51 after three quarters of play.
 
The teams exchanged a pair of buckets to begin the fourth quarter with Burchhardt going on a five-point scoring run to put Utica within just one trailing just 59-58 at the 7:03 mark. Burchhardt continued her dominance, splashing a clutch triple to give the team a 61-59 edge with just over 3 minutes remaining. Hope Halvarson (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) followed that up with another clutch three-pointer to put Utica up 64-59 with less than two minutes to play. Utica held on to secure the 69-64 Empire 8 victory. 
 
Utica (7-15, 4-9) will return home and host Keuka on Monday, February 12 at 5:30 p.m. in a makeup game from earlier this season.